Personal-transportation vehicles are commonly used by persons with ambulatory difficulties or other disabilities. Personal-transportation vehicles are often transported using a motor vehicle such as a van, pickup truck, passenger car, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a σtransporting vehicleμ).
Lift and carrier assemblies have been developed for lifting personal-transportation vehicles onto and off of transporting vehicles, and for storing the personal-transportation vehicle on the transporting vehicle. A lift and carrier assembly can be configured to store the personal-transportation vehicle in a position external to the transporting vehicle. Alternatively, a lift and carrier assembly can be configured to retract into the transporting vehicle, thereby permitting the personal-transportation vehicle to be transported while located inside of the transporting vehicle.
Retrieving the personal-transportation vehicle from the lift and carrier assembly can present difficulties for a mobility-impaired user. More particularly, it may be difficult or impossible for a mobility-impaired user to move from the driver s position (or some other location) in the transporting vehicle to the lift and carrier assembly, to retrieve the personal-transportation vehicle. It may also be difficult or impossible for the user to move from the lift and carrier assembly to the driver s position (or some other location), after the personal transportation vehicle has been stored on the lift and carrier assembly. Hence, a mobility-impaired user may be unable to travel in the transporting vehicle when assistance to load and unload the user s personal transportation vehicle is unavailable to the user at the origin or destination of the trip.
Consequently, a need exists for a system that allows a mobility-impaired user to store and retrieve a personal-transportation vehicle on a motor vehicle with minimal physical effort and movement required on the part of the user.